US5739527A - Near-field optical microscope for angle resolved measurements - Google Patents

Near-field optical microscope for angle resolved measurements Download PDF

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Publication number
US5739527A
US5739527A US08/635,943 US63594396A US5739527A US 5739527 A US5739527 A US 5739527A US 63594396 A US63594396 A US 63594396A US 5739527 A US5739527 A US 5739527A
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Prior art keywords
light
field
sample
angles
microscope
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US08/635,943
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Bert Hecht
Harald Heinzelmann
Lukas Novotny
Wolfgang Pohl
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International Business Machines Corp
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International Business Machines Corp
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Assigned to IBM CORPORATION reassignment IBM CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: HEINZELMANN, HARALD, HECHT, BERT, NOVOTNY, LUKAS, POHL, WOLFGANG D.
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B21/00—Microscopes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01Q—SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM]
    • G01Q60/00—Particular types of SPM [Scanning Probe Microscopy] or microscopes; Essential components thereof
    • G01Q60/18—SNOM [Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy] or apparatus therefor, e.g. SNOM probes
    • G01Q60/22—Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S977/00—Nanotechnology
    • Y10S977/84—Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure
    • Y10S977/849—Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure with scanning probe
    • Y10S977/86—Scanning probe structure
    • Y10S977/862—Near-field probe

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a near-field optical microscope, in particular to a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM). Especially, it concerns an aperture scanning optical microscope (a-SNOM).
  • SNOM scanning near-field optical microscope
  • a-SNOM aperture scanning optical microscope
  • the aperture is implemented as a sharply pointed optically transparent body covered with an opaque layer into which an opening is formed at the apex of the body, the opening having a diameter small compared to the wavelength of the light used.
  • the classical scanning near-field optical microscope employs a tiny aperture with an entrance pupil diameter that is small with respect to the wavelength of the light used for illuminating the object to be inspected.
  • a-SNOM aperture-scanning near-field microscope
  • Directed at the aperture is a laser beam of which a minute part passes to impact the surface of the object. If the object is placed from the aperture at a distance which is also small compared to the wavelength, that is, in the near-field, the light reflected by, or transmitted through, the object can be collected. The transmitted light is collected at an axis perpendicular to the sample surface and opposite of the aperture.
  • the detected light intensity of the described a-SNOM is, however, insensitive to variations in the distance between tip and sample. It is therefore difficult to use the measured signal to control the approach and distance of the tip and sample.
  • STOM scanning tunneling optical microscope
  • PSTM photon scanning tunneling microscope
  • the source of the photons is the evanescent field produced by the total internal reflection of a light beam from the sample surface.
  • An internal reflection is caused by placing the sample surface at the hypothenuse face of a total-reflection prism.
  • the light beam enters perpendicular to one of the side faces of the prism to be totally reflected by the hypothenuse face.
  • the prism has been replaced by a hemisphere.
  • the spatial variations in the evanescent field intensity form the basis for imaging. They essentially provide an exponentially decaying waveform normal to the sample surface. Photons tunneling from the total internal reflection surface to the tip are guided to a suitable detector which converts the light flux to an electrical signal.
  • the PSTM detects a signal only when the tip is placed within the decay length of the evanescent wave, allowing an accurate distance control.
  • the PSTM relates to the illumination of the sample: In contrast to the a-SNOM, the whole sample is irradiated throughout the total measuring time. Thus, the probability of damage through heating or other effects of the light is increased. Further, the PSTM shows an inferior lateral resolution compared to an a-SNOM, due to the use of a transparent optical probe tip. One way of improving this resolution is to cover the tip of a PSTM with an opaque material leaving only a tiny aperture to collect the light from a well-defined spot of the sample. However this is at the cost of the detected light intensity.
  • the new invention aims at eliminating the described shortcomings and to provide an a-SNOM with an improved distance control. It is a further object of the invention to broaden the scope of application for near-field optical microscopy.
  • the present invention provides a neapfield optical microscope with means to detect the intensity of light transmitted through a sample and emerging from the near-field at an angle ⁇ substantially differing from the direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the sample, preferably at an angle ⁇ larger than the critical angle ⁇ c .
  • the invention introduces angle-resolved measurement in near-field microscopy, in particular at a range of angles hitherto not exploited by any type of microscopy.
  • a critical angle is observed when light passes a boundary between two media with different indices of refraction, e.g. n 1 and n 2 , respectively, with n 1 ⁇ n 2 . Any incident light beam which passes the boundary coming from the less dense medium (n 1 ) is refracted in the denser medium (n 2 ) at an angle smaller as or equal to the critical angle.
  • the sine of the critical angle ⁇ c equals n 2 /n 1 .
  • the angles of incidence and of refraction are both measured with regard to the normal of the boundary , i.e.
  • the emerging of light into a cone limited by the solid angle defined by ⁇ c and the boundary between the two media is forbidden.
  • this restriction is found to be less stringent and the current invention discloses means to detect light emerging at angles larger than ⁇ c .
  • the angle ⁇ defines the direction of observation, taking into account, that any detector has a finite area sensible for measuring.
  • the intensity of light measured is the one emerging at a solid angle from the near-field, said solid angle being defined by the sensible area of the detector with ⁇ at its center.
  • a direction is defined as being substantially differing from the direction perpendicular to the sample plane, if this direction is not within the solid angle of observation as described above.
  • the new microscope comprises sample carrying means having a face onto which the sample is placed during a measurement.
  • the sample carrying means are made from a transparent material and formed to let the light, emerging from the sample area at angles ⁇ larger than the critical angle ⁇ c , propagate away from said area towards light detecting means.
  • the fraction of light emerging into the classically forbidden area is already small, it is important to avoid a further loss of intensity at the boundary between the sample carrying means and the light detecting means.
  • the boundary of the sample carrying means are either tilted at an angle, securing that light emerging from the angle (or range of angle) to be measured meets the boundary substantially perpendicular, or connected to the light detecting medium through an intermediate medium with an index of refraction equal to or greater than the index of refraction of the sample carrier.
  • the sample carrying means comprise a hemisphere with its flat face attached to the site of the sample within the range of the near-field. Treating the site of the near-field as a point source of radiation, the curvature of the other face of the hemisphere secures that light emerging from the near-field propagates perpendicular with regard to said other face, provided that the site of the near-field is centered at the flat face.
  • the hemispherical shape of the sample carrier allows an arbitrary positioning of the light detecting means at any angle ⁇ or ⁇ , with ⁇ being an arbitrary angle in a plane parallel to the flat face and, thus, to the surface of the sample (azimuth angle).
  • a moveable light detector which can be placed at any point or the hemisphere, or by a detector array covering at least a pad or the curved face or the hemisphere.
  • the measurement will be restricted to a smaller range of ⁇ and ⁇ typically, most of the radiation emerging into the forbidden area is confined to a range of 20 degrees above the critical angle. Consequently, the sample carrying means can be either shaped as a spherical section, or, by giving up the curved outer face, as a prism, appropriately chosen to let the light, emerging from the preferred range of angles, propagate to the detector. Again, either an array of detectors or at least one moveable detector is used in these embodiments of the invention, if a larger range of angles ⁇ or ⁇ should be covered.
  • the sensitivity of a measurement is further improved by adding (or subtracting) the light intensity as being measured at different directions and, especially, by letting the light, emerging at different angles, interfere or superpose in a phase sensitive manner by applying mirrors, beamsplitters, phase shifters, and other means known to a skilled person.
  • the intensity of the light emerging from the near-field site into the forbidden area varies unambiguously and more sensitively with the distance between near-field generating means and the sample site than does the transmitted light detected by known SNOM devices.
  • the light detected by the new device can, thus, preferably be used to provide an approach and a distance control between the near-field generating means and the sample area.
  • a distance control employing a feedback loop to keep the light intensity at a constant value is known as such from several PSTM-related publications.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates schematically the basic elements of a known near-field optical microscope (a-SNOM).
  • FIGS. 2A, B show the basic elements of two variants of a first preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 3A, B show details of another preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 4 shows a plot of the detected light intensity versus the distance between sample and the near-field generating tip at different angles of observation.
  • a SNOM comprises a a transparent sample carrier 1, usually made from glass or quartz, a tapered optical fiber 2 fabricated, for instance, by etching a standard optical fiber in a KOH solution, and cladding it with an opaque material, such as aluminum.
  • the fiber 2 has an uncovered apex, which serves as an aperture.
  • a light source 3 Connected to the optical fiber is a light source 3 able to emit intense radiation. Suitable light sources are different types of lasers including laser diodes. Measurements according to the following examples of the invention are made with an argon laser emitting light at 488 nm.
  • positioning elements 4, 5 of piezoelectric material to finely move the tip of the fiber in three dimensions.
  • the positioning elements are controlled by electrical signals generated by a distance control circuit 6 and a scanning control circuit 7, respectively.
  • the Z positioning element 4 enables a setting of the tip to a predetermined height above the surface of a sample.
  • the X-Y positioning element 5 is used to move the tip in a direction parallel to the surface of a sample.
  • the positioning elements are supported by mechanical actuators (not shown) driven by a stepping motor, a DC motor, or by hand for a coarse positioning of the sample.
  • a light detector 8 such as a photomultiplier, a photodiode, or a charge coupled device, is positioned at the opposite side of the sample carrier 1, along the axis of the tip. Frequently, the detector 8 comprises an optical microscope mounted in front of the light sensing element. In the following examples, a photomultiplier is used to measure the intensity of the light.
  • the light detector is connected to an image processing and analyzing device 9. All important control units of the SNOM are monitored and programmed by suitable microprocessing and computing means, combined for the purpose of FIG. 1 into a single computer unit 10.
  • a sample to be examined is placed on the sample carrier 1. After a first coarse positioning, the tip of the fiber 2 is finely moved into the proximity of the surface of the sample until the sample lies within the optical near-field.
  • the optical near-field is generated by passing a light beam through the optical fiber.
  • the light emitted from the tiny aperture at the apex of the tip forms a near-field, which decays within the length comparable lo the dimensions of the aperture (20-50 nm).
  • the light transmitted through the sample and the sample carrier in substantially perpendicular direction is collected by the light detector 8 and converted into electrical signals which are processed by the image processing device 9 into data to be displayed. By scanning the sample in horizontal directions, a complete picture of its surface is obtained.
  • the sample carrier 21 comprises a hemisphere 211.
  • the sample 25 is placed at the center of the flat face 212 of the hemisphere 211 underneath the tip of the tapered optical fiber 22.
  • a detector 28 is situated to collect light emerging from the near-field zone 26 at an off-axis angle, in particular at an angle ⁇ larger than the critical angle ⁇ c . As indicated by the drawing, light emerges from the near-field zone 26 into a larger cone than the one limited by the critical angle, and the detector 28 may be placed at various positions.
  • the sample carrier 21 serves as a propagation medium for this far-field component. Its hemispherical shape ensures that the far-field component meets the boundary 213 at a right angle, passing it with only minor internal reflection.
  • the detector 28 is placed close to the boundary to avoid a further dampening of the intensity of the light. However, it is possible to replace the detector at said position by an optical fiber guiding the collected light towards a detector located at a distance. This arrangement becomes important in case that the dimensions of the sample carrier 21 prevent the direct coupling of comparatively large detecting means 28.
  • a hatched area 27 indicates the preferred range of the angle ⁇ within the scope of the current invention spanning approximately 20 degrees.
  • the uncovered tip of the tapered fiber is replaced by a tip coated with aluminum 23.
  • a tiny apedure 24 is left to generate the near-field at the site of the sample.
  • This embodiment provides an enhanced resolution in comparison to the first variant, as the uncoated tip has only an ill-defined aperture.
  • arrays 281-283 of light detectors allows the detection of light emerging at different angles ⁇ , both larger and smaller than ⁇ c , extending the scope of activity of the new microscope to simultaneous angle-resolved measurement.
  • FIGS. 3A-B A coated tip with an aperture is applied also in the example illustrated by FIGS. 3A-B, in which FIG. 3B presents a top view of FIG. 3A showing a plane through the sample.
  • the circular sample carrier 31 is adopted to fit into a standard optical stage 311 as found in conventional microscopes.
  • An array of light detectors 38, 381 is arranged at its circumference for detecting the azimuthal distribution of the light emerging from the near-field zone 36 around the sample site 35, i.e. the light intensity at different angles ⁇ . By applying several light detectors 381 at a line perpendicular to the circumference, the variation of the light intensity versus the angle ⁇ can be measured.
  • the carrier is able to guide the light via subsequent total internal reflections, as known from optical fibers.
  • the shaded areas 37 demonstrate this light guiding effect.
  • the radius of the carrier does not affect this result. By tilting the sidewall 312 by a angle larger than 5 degrees, the whole angular interval of interest, approximately 20 degrees, is transmitted.
  • the sample carrier has a radius of 5.1 mm and a thickness of 1.5 mm.
  • the detectors 38, 381 can also be efficiently coupled to the transparent sample carrier 31 by providing an optical contact either to the sidewall, top and/or bottom face by applying an optical glue, immersion oil, or other means known to a skilled person to provide a boundary without a sharp transition considering the index of refraction.
  • the whole device can be incorporated into a customary optical stage 311 of a lens or confocal microscope.
  • the resolution and contrast of the measurements can be further improved by using phase sensitive superposition (interference) of light emerging from different angles.
  • the angular power density is denoted P and P* for both azimuthal directions, respectively, and ( ⁇ -- ⁇ *-- ⁇ ) is the phase difference of both light beams, enlarged by an additionally induced phase shift ⁇ .
  • ⁇ 180°
  • the signal vanishes in the absence of the sample.
  • the sample itself can be imaged with a higher contrast and resolution than by observing merely the light intensities.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
  • Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Microscoopes, Condenser (AREA)
  • Length Measuring Devices By Optical Means (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analysing Materials By Optical Means (AREA)
US08/635,943 1993-10-04 1993-10-04 Near-field optical microscope for angle resolved measurements Expired - Lifetime US5739527A (en)

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EP (1) EP0722574B1 (de)
KR (1) KR100262878B1 (de)
CA (1) CA2170860C (de)
DE (1) DE69320992T2 (de)
WO (1) WO1995010060A1 (de)

Cited By (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6433327B1 (en) * 1998-06-05 2002-08-13 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Near-field optical microscope
US6445453B1 (en) 1999-08-02 2002-09-03 Zetetic Institute Scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy
US20030015651A1 (en) * 2001-07-18 2003-01-23 Masashi Kiguchi Optical apparatuses using the near-field light
US6534768B1 (en) * 2000-10-30 2003-03-18 Euro-Oeltique, S.A. Hemispherical detector
US6552805B2 (en) 2000-07-27 2003-04-22 Zetetic Institute Control of position and orientation of sub-wavelength aperture array in near-field microscopy
US6633660B1 (en) * 1999-02-05 2003-10-14 John Carl Schotland Near-field tomography
US6667809B2 (en) 2000-07-27 2003-12-23 Zetetic Institute Scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy with background amplitude reduction and compensation
US6775009B2 (en) 2000-07-27 2004-08-10 Zetetic Institute Differential interferometric scanning near-field confocal microscopy
US6847029B2 (en) 2000-07-27 2005-01-25 Zetetic Institute Multiple-source arrays with optical transmission enhanced by resonant cavities
US20110096157A1 (en) * 2009-10-28 2011-04-28 Alan Marc Fine Microscopy imaging
US9075225B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2015-07-07 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US9279764B2 (en) * 2013-06-26 2016-03-08 Korea Advanced Institute Of Science And Technology Method and apparatus for manipulating near field using light scattering
US9989750B2 (en) 2013-06-26 2018-06-05 Alentic Microscience Inc. Sample processing improvements for microscopy
US10502666B2 (en) 2013-02-06 2019-12-10 Alentic Microscience Inc. Sample processing improvements for quantitative microscopy
US10921229B2 (en) 2011-12-01 2021-02-16 Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. Detection scheme for particle size and concentration measurement
US11237095B2 (en) 2019-04-25 2022-02-01 Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. Particle detection systems and methods for on-axis particle detection and/or differential detection
US11781965B2 (en) 2017-10-26 2023-10-10 Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. System and method for particles measurement
US11988593B2 (en) 2019-11-22 2024-05-21 Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. Advanced systems and methods for interferometric particle detection and detection of particles having small size dimensions
US12022236B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2024-06-25 Alentic Microscience Inc. Detecting and using light representative of a sample

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US6466537B1 (en) 1998-03-20 2002-10-15 Seiko Instruments Inc. Recording apparatus
DE19841736C2 (de) * 1998-09-11 2000-08-10 Max Planck Gesellschaft Lichtkoppler für Breitbandstrahlung im Mikrowellen- bis Infrarotbereich
DE10039337A1 (de) 2000-08-04 2002-02-28 Infineon Technologies Ag Kombination von abtastenden und abbildenden Methoden bei der Überprüfung von Photomasken
KR100476318B1 (ko) * 2002-02-22 2005-03-10 학교법인연세대학교 광학식 미세 간격 측정장치 및 이를 이용한 광픽업 장치
KR102412917B1 (ko) * 2015-02-16 2022-06-27 한국전자통신연구원 현미경

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Cited By (43)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6433327B1 (en) * 1998-06-05 2002-08-13 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Near-field optical microscope
US6633660B1 (en) * 1999-02-05 2003-10-14 John Carl Schotland Near-field tomography
US6753968B2 (en) 1999-08-02 2004-06-22 Zetetic Institute Optical storage system based on scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy
US6606159B1 (en) 1999-08-02 2003-08-12 Zetetic Institute Optical storage system based on scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy
US6445453B1 (en) 1999-08-02 2002-09-03 Zetetic Institute Scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy
US6552805B2 (en) 2000-07-27 2003-04-22 Zetetic Institute Control of position and orientation of sub-wavelength aperture array in near-field microscopy
US6667809B2 (en) 2000-07-27 2003-12-23 Zetetic Institute Scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy with background amplitude reduction and compensation
US6775009B2 (en) 2000-07-27 2004-08-10 Zetetic Institute Differential interferometric scanning near-field confocal microscopy
US6847029B2 (en) 2000-07-27 2005-01-25 Zetetic Institute Multiple-source arrays with optical transmission enhanced by resonant cavities
US6534768B1 (en) * 2000-10-30 2003-03-18 Euro-Oeltique, S.A. Hemispherical detector
US20030102433A1 (en) * 2000-10-30 2003-06-05 Ciurczak Emil W. Hemispherical detector
US20030015651A1 (en) * 2001-07-18 2003-01-23 Masashi Kiguchi Optical apparatuses using the near-field light
US6949732B2 (en) * 2001-07-18 2005-09-27 Hitachi Ltd. Optical apparatuses using the near-field light
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US9075225B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2015-07-07 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US12022236B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2024-06-25 Alentic Microscience Inc. Detecting and using light representative of a sample
US11947096B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2024-04-02 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US9720217B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2017-08-01 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US11635447B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2023-04-25 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US9041790B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2015-05-26 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US10114203B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2018-10-30 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US10345564B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2019-07-09 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US20110096157A1 (en) * 2009-10-28 2011-04-28 Alan Marc Fine Microscopy imaging
US10900999B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2021-01-26 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US10520711B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2019-12-31 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US10620234B2 (en) 2009-10-28 2020-04-14 Alentic Microscience Inc. Microscopy imaging
US10921229B2 (en) 2011-12-01 2021-02-16 Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. Detection scheme for particle size and concentration measurement
US10768078B2 (en) 2013-02-06 2020-09-08 Alentic Microscience Inc. Sample processing improvements for quantitative microscopy
US10502666B2 (en) 2013-02-06 2019-12-10 Alentic Microscience Inc. Sample processing improvements for quantitative microscopy
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WO1995010060A1 (en) 1995-04-13
EP0722574A1 (de) 1996-07-24
EP0722574B1 (de) 1998-09-09
KR100262878B1 (ko) 2000-08-01
DE69320992D1 (de) 1998-10-15
CA2170860A1 (en) 1995-04-13
DE69320992T2 (de) 1999-05-27
CA2170860C (en) 2002-07-23
KR960705246A (ko) 1996-10-09

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